For the second year in a row, Daniel Herrara and Joseph Traverso, electrical engineering and mechnical engineering respectively, have won the "Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics and Information" category of SURCA 2015. Their project was titled, "Allostery through protein-induced DNA bubbles," and introduces a new type of cooperative protein-protein interaction mediated by DNA bubbles that can explain the ability of the mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) to compact mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Their advisor is mathematics assistant professor Dr. Nikolaos Voulgarakis.

Mathematicians build code to take on the toughest cyber attacks

(Photo by Rebecca Phillips, WSU)

Nathan Hamlin, director of the WSU Math Learning Center and retired professor Bill Webb, along with the help of associate professor Bala Krishnamoorthy, have designed an encryption code to fend off the phenomenal hacking power of a quantum computer. Read more.

Using mathematics to anticipate future cholera breakouts

Assistant professor Xueying (Snow) Wang has developed two equation-based models to provide a new and predictive framework for anticipating cholera outbreaks and planning for interventions. Read more.

Graduate students to attend the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute

Thomas Cameron, Beiyu Lin, and Jie Zhao have been accepted to the summer graduate school of the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI).
They will attend workshops at the University of California - Berkeley
and the University of Montreal.

Students crazy for math

Mathematics major, Laura Hester, has ignited student interest in Math Club at Franklin Elementary School in Pullman, Washington. The pilot program uses CRAZY 8S, and has become so popular, she is recruiting PreToM members to offer it to more grade levels next year. Laura's advisor is clinical associate professor Sergey Lapin.

Taking statistical methods to young students

Generating enthusiasm for statistics in college students comes easy for clinical assistant professor Dean Johnson, but what about generating enthusiasm in young students? Dr. Johnson has proof that even young students can become interested in statistical methods. Read More.

Undergraduate Majors

Undergraduate math majors have exciting opportunities. These include conducting research and computer analysis, as well as pursuing special studies with highly regarded faculty members. Students have the opportunity to participate in industry internships and competitive research programs in the United States and abroad. A student may earn a stipend as an undergraduate teaching assistant by tutoring, grading papers, or leading tutorial sessions for introductory level math classes.

Undergraduate Minors

You may earn a minor in mathematics or statistics. Students majoring in agriculture, engineering, biology, business, computer science, chemistry, economic sciences, physics, or other majors, may find that earning a minor in either mathematics or statistics requires only one or two additional courses. To learn more about obtaining a minor in mathematics click here.

Graduate Studies

Graduate students study with mathematics faculty who are on the forefront of research in areas of current global interest such as: mathematical modeling in population genetics, muscle physiology, and biomolecular systems; optimization problems on high performance computing environments; partial differential equations in control theory, swimming phenomenon, materials research, microwave heating and inverse problems; geometric analysis with a parallel focus on applications to data modeling and analysis; statistics related to bioinformatics and large data, multiple comparisons, experimental design, linear models, change-point problems, quality control, engineering reliability and risk analysis; probability including martingale methods, stochastic differential equations, stochastic simulation, and extreme value theory; matrix algebra including both computational and theoretical analyses; mathematics education research associated with teacher preparation, use of technology, and culturally relevant pedagogy; discrete mathematics that includes cryptography, combinatorics, and number theory; and environmental mathematics such as contaminant transport in groundwater, population ecology, and predator-prey problems. Graduate students participate in graduate seminars and undertake collaborative and cross-disciplinary research.

Middle Level Mathematics Endorsement

A partnership was formed in 2010 between the Mathematics Department and the Teaching and Learning Department to provide classes for a Middle Level Mathematics Endorsement in teaching. The endorsement has five classes to add to a secondary or elementary certificate, and is designed for both in-service and pre-service teachers. For more information please visit our Math Education page, or the College of Education page.

For more information about these books and to read about other recently published books, please
>>click here.

Researchers get $1.8M to improve hip, knee replacements

Professor Nairanjana Dasgupta is a co-PI on an NIH $1.8 million grant to improve materials used in hip and knee replacements. For more information click here.

Study predicts bird fatalities at wind facilities

Using mathematics and statistics, assistant professor Leslie New has developed a model to predict bird fatalities at wind facilities. For more information click here.

Elissa Schwartz receives first annual award from the Society for Mathematical Biology

Assistant professor Elissa Schwartz has received the first annual award from the Society for Mathematical Biology. The Society for Mathematical Biology, founded in 1973, is an international society which exists to promote and foster interactions between the mathematical and biological sciences.

Consortium for Interdisciplinary Statistical Education and Research (CISER)

Excellence? We think so!

Math Professors Analyze the Numbers - Determine Best Way to Control H1N1 Influenza Virus

When the first cases of the H1N1 influenza virus hit WSU in 2009, assistant professor Elissa Schwartz was teaching her students about the behavior of epidemics in a closed population. With the help of clinical associate professor Sergey Lapin, and using real live data, they simulated transmission of the influenza virus to analyze its infection rate thereby determining the best way to contain it. Read more >> Washington State Magazine, or WSU News.